Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math

Manchester Orchestra first appeared on the radar with their 2006 album I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child, 5 years on and they have steadily progressed to become a notable force to be reckoned with, gaining in size and momentum whilst releasing another album on the way, 2009’s acclaimed Mean Everything To Nothing. Now they are back with their latest effort Simple Math.
Starting with a simple drawn out droning whisper of a synth and a lightly picked guitar, opening track ‘deer’ is a beautiful...

Manchester Orchestra first appeared on the radar with their 2006 album I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child, 5 years on and they have steadily progressed to become a notable force to be reckoned with, gaining in size and momentum whilst releasing another album on the way, 2009’s acclaimed Mean Everything To Nothing. Now they are back with their latest effort Simple Math.

Starting with a simple drawn out droning whisper of a synth and a lightly picked guitar, opening track ‘deer’ is a beautifully crafted melancholic song that sees Manchester Orchestra turn down their volume and create something quite mystic and heartfelt. Although this album touches on soft and delicate moments it is not all in this vain. With songs like ‘Mighty’ and ‘Virgin’ seeing Manchester Orchestra switch of the delicate moments and infuse a bigger and heavier sound than their previous material.

Simple Math as an album is optimised and encapsulated in latest single and title track ‘Simple Math’, gliding in with a simple and fragile introduction that helps set the scene for a beautifully twisted tale, with the song building in a epically string filled crescendo of gliding strings, cascading drums, soaring vocals and driving vocals; something that has also been captured in the breath taking Daniels directed video for the single, which fuses a car crash and forgotten child hood memories.

Overall Simple Math is an album full of depth and sees Manchester Orchestra harnessing the ability to blend intricacy and delicate moments with their own wonderful created Americana tinged Rock ‘n’ Roll to ultimately produce a standout album.